REGULATED INDUSTRIES END USER: On the Rise

U.S. demand for medical and dental adhesives and sealants
is forecast to rise 7.6% per year to $1.8 billion in 2011. Much of this growth
can be attributed to the aging U.S.
population, since older individuals are more likely to require surgical and
dental procedures than other age groups. Advances will also depend on
continuing new-product development and increasing acceptance of these materials
in surgical and consumer settings. These and other trends are presented in Medical
& Dental Adhesives & Sealants, a new study from The
Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

With the exception of joint replacements and most dental applications, medical
applications for adhesives and sealants are relatively new; thus, many markets
are experiencing fast growth off a small base. Opportunities are expected for
cyanoacrylate, polyethylene glycol, and various plasma and protein types. Cyanoacrylate
adhesives are projected to find greater use in external tissue-bonding
applications. Rapid gains should result from the commercialization of several
products presently in development, including cyanoacrylates for internal
applications.

Medical applications will achieve more rapid growth than dental applications
through 2011. In internal medical applications, adhesives and sealants will
experience the best growth in situations where the tissue involved is affected
by pressure caused by blood (e.g., capillaries, veins or arteries), air (e.g.,
the lungs), solids (e.g., the gastrointestinal system) or fluids (e.g., the
dural membrane in the cranial region, the bladder or the spinal cord). In
external medical applications, adhesives and sealants will find increased
opportunities in external tissue bonding, particularly on low-tension wounds.

Dental applications will post annual growth of 4.1% through 2011. Good
opportunities still exist, especially in newer products. For example, pit and
fissure sealants will register strong gains due to their use in cavity
prevention. Products such as denture adhesives, restorative adhesives and
luting cements will see limited gains through 2011, primarily due to overall
improved dental health in the U.S.
population.

Products

The Handbook of Sealant Technology provides an in-depth examination of sealants, reviewing their historical developments and fundamentals, adhesion theories and properties, and today’s wide range of applications.